


The World's A Stage

by Denois



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Background Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter - Freeform, M/M, Minor Caitlin Farmer, Minor Christopher "Chowder" Chow, Minor Christopher "Chowder" Chow/Caitlin Farmer, NHL!Chowder, New York City, Non graphic violence, Scary stuff happens and I don't describe it, dryad!Tango, half elf!Nursey, half elf!Whiskey, minor Tangredi Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:19:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24654463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: Darkness takes all when sight failsCareful not to lose your wayA sanctuary of fairies holds the keyHand in hand you must go farVictory does not come to one alone.Connor's best friend and the person he is sworn to protect has gone missing. With the blessing of Tony's sisters, he sets off to find him and bring him home. A quest that will lead him to the mean streets of New York City and leave him to the mercy of the devils.Denice just wrapped on a play and wants nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep for a week. When a mysterious stranger shows up insisting that he needs her Great Great Nana's sewing box to save his friend, she's skeptical. After all, she's been a stage manager long enough to know the only real magic is stage magic.All the world's a stage, but what happens if people miss their cues?
Relationships: Denice "Foxtrot" Ford & Tony "Tango" Tangredi & Connor "Whiskey" Whisk, Denice "Foxtrot" Ford & William "Dex" Poindexter, Tony "Tango" Tangredi/Connor "Whiskey" Whisk
Kudos: 18
Collections: OMGCP Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sailorsav](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorsav/gifts).



> Inspired by [this gif set board made by the awesomely talented tangotangredi.](https://tangotangredi.tumblr.com/post/620594608713400321/the-worlds-a-stagerated-teen-and-upwritten-as)
> 
> Ginormous thanks to [Draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis) for the beta read, cheer reading, and willingness to stay up late to help me make sure this made sense.
> 
> Tango's sisters make an appearance in this fic, but they aren't major characters, since they don't appear at all in the comic, if you would like a quick overview of the canon compliant version of them that I based the AU version of them on, [This is where Tangotangredi discussed headcanons.](https://tangotangredi.tumblr.com/post/186614984294/details-on-the-sisters-please)

> Darkness takes all when sight fails  
>  Careful not to lose your way  
>  A sanctuary of fairies holds the key  
>  Hand in hand you must go far  
>  Victory does not come to one alone.

Connor stared at the swirling mist of magic in the Well. The normally vibrant colors were muted and mixed with threads of ugly browns and grays. He knew what it meant, of course. Tony’s last vision was coming to pass. What _that_ meant, he had no idea. His job was to protect the dryads who protected the Well of Magic. He listened to and recorded Tony’s visions, but that didn’t mean he understood them.

Connor clenched his fist. Tony was the most prolific and most accurate oracle currently living. Probably the most accurate of the age. And, more importantly, he was Connor’s best friend. When Tony had gone missing, Connor had been told to stay at his post and protect the rest of the dryads, Tony’s sisters. To protect the Well. He’d been so shocked by the orders that he’d failed to report Tony’s last vision. Normally, Tony would have done so himself, but even though he disappeared a week after the vision, it didn’t seem as though he had.

Which meant that Connor was the only one who knew about the vision. 

It was Connor’s job to protect the dryads, especially the Oracle. Tony.

Connor wasn’t the only half elf who could protect the rest of the dryads, but he was the only one who could find Tony. 

It made the decision very easy. For him, anyway. But first, he’d need Tony’s sisters to agree to the plan.

“Seven is a number of magic.”

“We are not as strong without our brother.”

“He anchors us.”

Francesca, the youngest turned and pinned him with her wide gaze. “You are not as strong without him.”

Connor swallowed and thought to deny the accusation.

“He weighs heavy on your mind, an anchor slowing your defenses.”

He felt shamed. His affection for Tony was weakening him, making him unfit to guard the other dryads.

“It is not a fault to care and care deeply.”

“It is a strength to know you care.”

“It is a strength to help you find him.”

“He needs you.”

“We need him.”

“You cannot protect us without him.”

“So, yes. Find him that we may be whole again.”

“So you may be whole again.”

Connor sighed and looked away. It was good that they agreed that he needed to find Tony, but…. “I can’t leave you defenseless, either. Especially not with the Magic in the Well changing.”

The oldest sister, Carina, blinked and then spoke slowly. “There are others who can protect us. Only you can search for our brother.”

Connor nodded and backed out of the grove surrounding the Well. 

It was good that the sisters had agreed that he needed to search for Tony; he was glad. Even better that they were ok with someone else staying at the grove with them to protect them. Usually they were wary of anyone else in the grove. It made sense. Outsiders who approached the grove typically wanted something from the sisters or Tony, or they were a threat to the Well. 

There was no way to know how long it would take him to find Tony. He had very little information to go on, after all. So he needed to be sure that whoever he asked to fill this role not only had the skills and abilities to protect the dryads, but also would be available to do so for however long as necessary. 

Luckily, Derek didn’t live too far away. 

“The Council told you to just chill and not go looking for Tony, huh?” Derek dropped into a comfortable-looking chair hanging near the center of the room and promptly pulled his feet up to tuck them under himself. He gestured at a small tray of refreshments on the table between that chair and a matching one.

Connor carefully perched on the chair and took a small bite of the food and sip of the wine, a show of accepting hospitality. Derek had wasted no time in guessing the purpose of his visit. Honestly, Connor should have remembered that Derek’s father was on the Council. He should have picked someone else to ask.

“You aren’t going to listen to those old fools, are you?” Derek took a sip of his own honeysuckle wine.

“I was….” Connor trailed off.

Derek lifted his eyebrows.

With a sigh, Connor acquiesced. “I was going to ask you if you would take my place guarding the Grove so that I could try to find him.”

“Oh. Chill. Perfect. This is. Wow, it’s not even my birthday.” Derek set his glass down and covered his mouth with a hand. “I would be honored to guard the Grove in your absence.”

“You aren’t too busy? I know you were writing.”

“No. Of course not. Writing can happen anywhere.”

Something about the way Derek’s tone changed made Connor narrow his eyes.

“Ok, fine. Chill. The words are refusing to become outside words. But it’s fine. A change of scenery might help. Or a change in topic. Actually. That’s perfect. I can write the Lay of the Lost Lover. A grand ballad of the Seer’s disappearance and how he is found by his true love. It will be a hit through the ages.”

“We aren’t lovers. Or loves.” Connor’s eyes were wide and tight and he had to swallow a few times to keep his expression neutral.

“Oh. Well. That doesn’t really matter. You will be in the story.” Derek waved a hand as though brushing aside a mildly irritating scent rather than the truth. “When do you plan to leave? Should I pack my things now?”

* * *

With everything settled, the next step was to set out in search of Tony. Which would be easier if Connor had any idea at all where Tony might be and who or what might have taken him. The only clue that he had was the last vision Tony had had before disappearing. He decided that he should seek the wisdom of another Seer.

“Look at you. Get in here and give Nonna a hug. Are you eating enough? You’re like twigs!” Tony’s grandmother pulled him into the receiving chamber outside of her tree and bustled him into a seat at a table where she promptly provided him with a plate of sweets and tea. 

The thing about dryads was-- they didn’t really lose physical strength as they aged. Quite the opposite in fact. Connor tried to inconspicuously rotate his shoulders to make sure he hadn’t been injured by her hug. She tended to forget how hard her hugs were these days. 

“Nonna T, I’m fine. Honest. I actually came because I need your help.” Connor knew better than to deny Nonna’s hospitality, so he dutifully took a bite of cake and a sip of tea. He wouldn’t get away with not eating more than that, but the start usually reassured her.

“Of course you do. No one can visit the old tree just to chat. But then. You are a busy man. Watching over my saplings. A good man.” She smiled at him. “Tell Nonna T what you need.”

“Tony’s missing.” 

“Tony’s missing?”

Connor took a deep breath. “He went missing. And the Well is changing. The Council says that everything will be fine and to keep watch on the Well. But, about a week ago, Tony had a vision. He said-”

“Stop!” Nonna’s voice was sharp and strong and she stood up, suddenly towering over him as he sat. “Tony gave those words to _you._ He entrusted you with them to keep them safe, not to go telling them to anyone with ears.” 

She slowly lowered herself back into her seat, though her gaze was still reproachful, as though he’d disappointed her.

“Our Words are precious. Our Visions are part of us. Do you understand? We would keep them all if we could. To share them, that is a trust.”

“Tony always tells me his visions.”

“Yes. He would tell you.” Nonna nudged the plate of sweets. “Eat.”

Connor took another small cake and used the time chewing to think. He’d never heard that Seers didn’t like to share their visions. Tony had always shared his, with Connor. But then, his job was to guard the dryads and protect Tony and report his visions to the Council. He didn’t interact with other Seers. 

Connor swallowed thickly around the cake. Tony trusted him with his visions even though they were special. And Connor had been reporting them to the Council. 

It wasn’t the time. He couldn’t get distracted beating himself up over something he didn’t know was harmful. He had to find Tony.

“I won’t share his words. But they are the only clue I have to find him. I thought that you, or maybe another Seer or Sage, might be able to help me decipher the meaning.”

“Knowing the meaning won’t help you.”

Connor opened his mouth to protest, but she raised a gnarled hand to hush him. 

“These things only make sense in the past tense. But you were right to seek out Seers and Sages. Not everything we See is a Vision, you know. There are some, old dear friends, who may have Seen something that will help.” She turned and rummaged in a pile of books until she pulled out a notepad and writing nib. “Seek the Seers first, of course. Then the Sages, they’ll be able to help you make sense of what the Seers say.”

After a few moments, she stopped writing and handed the list of names and locations to Connor. Then she stilled briefly before beginning to hum and sway gently from side to side. The air in the chamber stirred, lifting the sheets of the pad and toying with the strands of her hair, then slowly, a flower bloomed, just above her ear. She came to a rest and stopped humming before reaching up to pluck the flower.

“This will not wilt or wither and will prove to them that you are a friend.” She pressed it into Connor’s hand as well and then patted his arm. “Now. Finish your tea and cakes and go find my grandson.”


	2. Chapter 2

The play had finally wrapped and all Denice wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for a week. Which was exactly what she planned to do as soon as she and Will got home. For the moment, she settled for laying her arms over her Great Great Nana’s sewing box and then laying her head on top of them and resting on the subway. Normally, she’d never let her guard down that much on the subway, especially late at night. But Will was beside her and there weren’t a lot of people willing to risk his wrath. 

She wasn’t sleeping anyway; she was just resting. 

Will tapped her elbow and she blinked wearily, stifling a yawn as she sat back up. “Our stop’s next.”

Just resting. Yep.

She just had time to stretch and gather the sewing box before the doors opened for their stop, and they trudged out and then up into the darkness of the night. Their apartment wasn’t far from the subway station, but Will kept moving closer to her as they walked anyway. 

“Something wrong?”

Will didn’t change his posture and barely moved his lips when he murmured his response. “Pretty sure we’re being followed. Want me to take the box so you can run?”

Her responding snort was inelegant, but she didn’t care. “There’s no way I’m leaving Great Great Nana’s sewing box behind. It’d just get in your way and I’m perfectly capable of running with it.”

Will’s nod was almost imperceptible. “Hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Denice didn’t respond. That was always the hope walking home, especially this late at night. Luckily, they made it home without further incident. Will immediately started checking the apartment to make sure it was locked up and safe, but Denice decided to make good on her earlier plan and after putting away the sewing box, she fell directly into bed in order to sleep for a week.

* * *

She did not sleep for a week. She did sleep for about fourteen hours. When she finally woke up, hungry, she was alone in the apartment, but there was a note from Will. He was at the neighbor’s helping with a broken garbage disposal. 

Normally, Will would make something for lunch when neither of them had to work, but she didn’t want to wait. Besides, Will had gotten up to help the neighbors while she’d slept, and he’d been working the same long hours. He’d probably appreciate food when he got back. 

There was an obscure brand of bottled ice coffee that she loved and luckily, the bodega on the corner carried it and made awesome sandwiches in house, which made it perfect for grabbing a quick late lunch. It was a quick trip and she was thanking the owner and pushing out of the door in a matter of minutes.

“You don’t have your guardian with you today. Do you usually go out without him? Or just when you don’t have the key with you?”

The voice came from beside the door and Denice felt a chill run down her back. She hadn’t forgotten that Will had seen someone following them the night before. She’d just assumed that he was wrong, overprotective and prone to worry.

She turned to look at the person who’d spoken. He was probably a bit smaller than Will or her brothers, but that still meant he was bigger and stronger than she was. That wasn’t unusual, but she wasn’t usually caught off guard like this either. This was her neighborhood. People here knew her.

“Listen here, I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I’m friends with every shopkeeper and tennant on this block and if you lay a finger on me, they will all come when I scream.”

It was a bluff. She knew some of the people on the block, and some people might actually pay attention to a scream for help, even in this part of the city, but to expect any of them to fight to protect her? Knowing they’d potentially get the shit beat out of them? There was only one person in the area she was sure would do that and he probably had his head under their neighbor’s sink.

The man lifted his hands and took a step back. “No threat meant, Keeper. I simply wanted to ask for your aid. I am a guardian as well, but my charge, my friend, is missing and I need your help to save him and restore magic to my home.”

Denice sighed. She’d lived in the borough long enough to understand that everyone had their own way of viewing what the city was to them. It didn’t always make sense, but someone needing help wasn’t usually a danger. She juggled the purchases a little to free up one of her hands and reached into her pocket to pull out a ten from her change. 

“Here. This is all I can do to help. But there’s a shelter about 6 blocks south. They can do more.”

After passing the bill over, she turned and walked off. She really was limited in what she could do without blowing the budget for her own needs. Snorting, she shook her head as she opened the door to their building. Usually Will was the pushover, giving money to everyone he saw busking or begging. He’d never dipped into rent or bill money, but she had caught him trying to survive on nothing but bulk value popcorn for a week. 

Well, it was one person that will hopefully find more help at the shelter. She wasn’t signing them up to starve or anything.

She was about to juggle everything again to pull out her keys when Will stepped out of the neighbor’s door and quickly rushed over to help get the door and take the food. 

“Woke up starving and decided that for the first day of our break we could splurge just a little on sandwiches from the bodega.”

“Must have read my mind. You’re the best, Denice.”

She smiled back at him and grabbed the bag to pull out her sandwich - no tomatoes, extra pickles. “I really am. But also, I ran into the guy who was following us last night.”

Will set his drink down. “Are you ok? Did he do anything? Do you need anything?”

“Stop it. I’d have told you if I wasn’t ok. I think he just wanted help. Said something about his friend being missing. I gave him some money and directed him to the shelter.”

“Getting soft, then?”

“Worried I’m taking your role?”

“No. You’ve secretly always been soft to your friends. Worried about strangers stalking you multiple days in a row.”

“Yeah, well. I told him that everyone on the block loved me and would rush to my aid if I screamed for help.”

Will nearly choked on his iced coffee. “No one who’s been in New York for longer than five minutes would believe that.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Guess he’s only been here four and half because, like I said, he backed off.” She took a sip of her own drink. “I probably won’t see him again. It was just a coincidence.”

* * *

The next day, Denice decided to take a walk down to the community garden. She’s stretched the truth just a little bit with Will the day before when she’d said that they deserved to eat out for the first day of their break from work. The truth was that she had a couple of weeks off and she planned to relax as much as possible during it and eat all the delicious foods that she loved and never could get to between pre-production and the end of a performance run. So after she checked out how the garden was doing, she continued on to a little cafe and opted to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the day with some people watching.

When the same man from the day before approached her, she saw him coming from quite a ways away and could have gotten up and gone inside or found some other place to be. But she was determined to relax and enjoy her time off and some stranger wasn’t going to deter her.

“May I sit with you?”

She gestured to the other seat at the table even while thinking that it was probably a bad idea. Oh well, he seemed harmless and she could always make a scene later. Or just leave, she was nearly done, anyway.

“I know that I upset you, though it’s not my intention. It is just that I need the Key in order to help my friend. And to restore magic in my world, but given how this world drains magic, I don’t know how it will do that.” He looked confused for a moment, biting his lip before refocusing on her.

“Magic?” 

He’d mentioned magic the day before as well and she still wasn’t sure if he was speaking metaphorically or someone who thought there was real magic. Though, either way, she could see how New York City would be a drain on it.

“Yes, it’s all I can do to maintain the compass.” He slowly moves a hand to his pocket and pulls out a fancy compass. “I can see why you don’t understand, this place-” He stopped with a shudder. “Still, it leads me to you, the Keeper. I will never bother you again, I just need the Key.”

Denice stared at the compass, which was, in fact, currently pointing directly at her, then looked up at the stranger. He was definitely viewing the world from an altered perspective somehow. 

“Yes. Compasses point North. But I don’t have whatever key you are looking for. I’m sorry. You’re right. There’s no magic here. I can’t help.”

She looked down at the last couple of bites of her food and then folded her napkin and placed it on her plate before pushing her chair back to stand. There wasn’t really anything else she could say or do. It was best to just get out of the situation. This was supposed to be her time to relax.

Luckily, the stranger didn’t follow her or even call out to try to stop her. 

Not so luckily, she was stopped in the entry of her building by one of the downstairs neighbors.

“Oh hello, dear! I’m looking forward to watching your play tomorrow.” The elderly woman smiled up at her through thick glasses, the beaded chain rattling slightly as she did.

“Hello, Ms. Jenkins. I’m sorry, but you must have my play confused with another. We just wrapped.”

“What’s that?”

“Our production run is over. There are no more performances.”

Ms. Jenkin’s brow furrowed. “No. I’m quite certain. You said you were on the Peter Pan play and the flyer I got says that it opens tomorrow. Just a moment.”

Denice waited patiently while she opened her bag and dug through it, before pulling out a slightly wrinkled flyer. A flyer which did advertise Peter Pan opening at a theater the next day. Just not the theater her production company had been working at. She pressed her lips together. It rankled a little bit, but technically the performances hadn’t overlapped.

Well, it wouldn’t hurt to check out the other production and see if they did anything different. Theater people were always trying to reinvent the wheel.


	3. Chapter 3

Connor ran his hands through his hair. The KeyKeeper didn’t seem to trust him and kept refusing to help him. He wanted to respect her clear desire for him to leave her alone - he felt oddly almost compelled to do so - but Tony was missing and this was his only chance to save him. He had to save Tony. He had to get the Key. 

Connor looked down at the compass given to him and attuned to the KeyKeeper by one of the Sages. He’d expected it to make quick work of finding the Keeper and procuring the Key, but this strange land with it’s maze of giant buildings limited its usefulness. It only gave a direction, not distance or height. He’d been lucky to find her once in the open, holding the box that contained the key even. Luckier still that she’d stayed in the same area the next few days.

But now she’d gone further away than she had since he first found her. He paused as the needle shifted. It stopped moving. She wasn’t changing direction, then. He must be close. 

A sign on the building proclaimed the runtime and admission fee. He frowned. He didn’t really want to wait for her to exit, especially when she might not be in the building. But he also didn’t want to pay an admission when she might not be there. His funds from this world were limited. He was farther from the portal to his own realm than he’d ventured thus far. 

He circled the block to be sure, then paid the fee and entered the building. There were more doors inside the building which lead to rows of seats, sparsely populated, around a stage. He saw the KeyKeeper sitting in the third row and approached from an angle that would allow her to see him before sitting in the row in front of her and slightly to the side. 

It was strange that she went out without her guardian so often, but he was adept at protocols, having served as the guardian of the dryads for some time. He wouldn’t block her in or force her to stay when she chose to leave. And he was familiar with pantomimes, so he knew they wouldn’t be able to speak until it was over at any rate.

* * *

The pantomime was troubling and left him with many questions. Pleasantly, after it ended, the KeyKeeper waited to speak with him in the reception area. He had, of course, hoped that they could speak, but given her response the previous times he’d approached her, he’d worried that she would dismiss him again. 

“Fairies are gone from my world, but based on the stories, I expected something different.” He should have asked about the Key again, Tony was counting on him, but this confused him.

The KeyKeeper blinked. “Fairies?”

“Are all your boxes like that sanctuaries for fairies? Maybe I don’t need your box. A sanctuary of fairies holds the key. But then why….” He felt deeply troubled by this. He needed the key from a sanctuary of fairies. The compass was supposed to point him in the right direction. But perhaps it had simply attuned to the closest sanctuary rather than the only one with a key.

“Look, I understand that the world can be really hard sometimes and we all have different perspectives and things to work through, but I can’t help you. I’m not a counselor or anything.” Her voice was kind, but clearly she was as lost as he.

Perhaps he could resolve a different question that had arisen. “You said there was no magic here, but they flew.” 

“Stage magic isn’t real magic. Ropes and fly wires and pulleys. Magic isn’t real.”

“Stage magic is not magic, but it’s stage magic.” He looked at her dubiously and she nodded in response.

“Exactly.” 

Connor considered as they exited the building, would stage magic be enough for his world? Probably not. “Even if my world loses magic and becomes as dismal as this, I have to find Tony.” He nodded to himself.

“Who’s Tony?”

“My friend. My charge. I’m his guardian. But he’s missing. The Seers and Sages sent me to you because your box holds the key to get him back.” 

They descended below the street and through a turnstile. Well, the Keeper went through the turnstile. It didn’t move for him. She looked at him oddly. 

“You don’t have a metro card.”

“No. Should I?” 

She sighed and waved a card over the side of the turnstile which allowed him to pass. 

“Only if you want to use the subway or bus. How’d you get all the way out here without transit? Taxi?”

“I walked. It’s a bit farther than I’m used to, but not too bad.” 

She snorted. “Ok. You’re not from around here, that’s for sure.”

* * *

Connor wasn’t sure what made Denice change her mind, but they exchanged names while traveling on the public conveyance and she invited him into her home. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but he was feeling more optimistic than he had in days.

Until they stepped into Denice’s home.

“You brought your stalker home?” Her guardian was clearly addressing Denice, but kept his eyes on Connor. 

He couldn’t even deny the accusation. He had followed her to seek to gain the key.

“It’s ok, Will. You’re here to protect me, right?” She patted Will on the chest and moved past him without waiting for a response. “This is Connor. He’s looking for his friend Tony. He’s not from around here and hasn’t seen stage magic before, so I thought you could show him some of your stuff.”

Will sighed and then turned towards the kitchen, away from Denice.

Connor thought it most prudent to follow Denice. 

She was digging through a trunk and glanced back over her shoulder when he approached. “You can sit wherever.”

“You can sit at the table and we can have the frappes I just made. They aren’t quite full, but it usually ends up being more than enough for two anyway.” Will approached and set three glasses on the small square dining table.

“Oh. Milkshakes, thanks, Will.” Denice dropped a pile of ropes onto the floor and then joined them at the table. 

The glasses had both a straw and a spoon each and both of them didn’t wait for him before consuming some of the contents. He still wasn’t clear if it was frappe or milkshake, but it appeared to be a consistency that would count as both food and beverage, so he consumed some as well. It was sweeter than he was used to, but good. The fact that Will followed the rules of hospitality was encouraging.

Will set his glass back on the table and looked at them again. “So, you want me to fly you around?”

Denice frowned. “No. Not really.” 

“Well, Connor’s not that much shorter than I am and we don’t have vaulted ceilings. So, there isn’t anyone else here that can be flown if you want me to give a demonstration.”

“Fine. Let’s do this before I eat too much, then.” She turned towards Connor. “I prefer my feet on the ground.”

They both stood and walked over to the pile that Denice had left. Will started running ropes through a series of small wheels that were attached to the ceiling while Denice pulled on a harness of straps. Once they were both satisfied, Will clipped a connection to Denice’s harness and then moved to the other side of the room to pull on the ropes. 

Just like in the pantomime, she rose into the air, and then moved across the room before moving back and then to the ground. It wasn’t elegant, not entirely smooth and she kept her arms folded across her chest the entire time. But it did account for the flight he’d seen earlier. 

Connor sighed. Stage magic would not save Tony.


	4. Chapter 4

Denice hated being flown around. There were reasons that she was a stage manager, and that wasn’t on the top of the list, but it was still one of them. Still, Will was good at his job and even not being used to moving her around, he did it as smoothly as possible and it was only a short demonstration. Then she was back on the ground where she belonged and she could reward herself by finishing her milkshake.

Connor looked pensive. 

It made sense, if she’d thought that finding someone who could fly would help her save her friends, she’d be pretty upset to see proof that it was all fake. 

“I suppose it makes sense that your world doesn’t have magic. It feels like the very antithesis of magic. I can barely keep this working.” He pulled out the compass again.

Denice couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes, though she tried to keep it small. “Yes, it’s a compass. It points North. Magnetism isn’t magic either.”

Will cleared his throat. “Denice. It’s pointing at you.”

“Yeah. Just like at the cafe. Because compasses point Nor-.” She broke off. She was sitting on the West side of the table. 

Narrowing her eyes at the device, she stood up and slowly walked around the table. The compass point followed her for the entire circuit.

“That’s how I was able to find you. Just a direction is a bit difficult. Especially when you go into buildings. So many buildings here. That’s how I’m sure your sanctuary of fairies is the one I need, the one with the Key to save Tony.”

Denice sat back down and glanced at Will, who raised an eyebrow in response. Of course, he thought that New York was absurd enough that he probably figured this was just another weird thing to go along with. She turned her focus back to Connor.

“Start from the beginning.”

Connor’s face eased. “I’m from a different world. I guard the dryads who guard the Well of Magic. Tony, the youngest of the dryads, is an Oracle and he had a vision, but then he went missing. Shortly after he went missing, the Well started to appear corrupted. Something is polluting it and if it’s not fixed, then…” He paused for a moment and shook his head slightly. “Magic will die. The Council ordered me to stay and guard the other dryads. But Tony isn’t just my charge, he’s my… best friend. The other dryads are his sisters, so they agreed that I should go search for him.”

“And you ended up here?”

“I visited some Seers and Sages.  


> ’Twisting, turning, winding, wry,  
>  The path itself doth shift and hide.  
>  Alone, a champion will die.  
>  Without the Key to live inside.

  
One of the first Seers told me that. I can’t find Tony without a Key. Another simply told me that 'the Key is in NYC'. The Sages I visited provided me with the compass and attuned it, and helped me find the portal to ‘NYC’ in your world and told me how to activate it.” He shrugged as though it was all a simple matter of following the stage directions in a play.

The room fell silent after his explanation. It was concise, devoid of much detail. Perhaps because he didn’t want to waste any more time in finding his friend. Perhaps because he didn’t think details were important. Perhaps because it was all a ruse and he hadn’t thought of more details to sell it.

“Denice.”

“Will.” Denice smiled at Connor before addressing him. “Please excuse us for a moment.”

In her bedroom, Denice stared at her Great Great Nana’s sewing box with Will beside her. Could it really be the Key that Connor was looking for? A sanctuary of fairies just because she’d loaned it to the theater company as a prop in Peter Pan?

“Ok, so, which of us is going to say it first?”

“I think he might be telling the truth.”

“It’s absurd.”

“Completely impossible.”

“And yet.”

“And yet.”

“Could all be a ruse.”

“To get my Great Great Nana’s sewing box? Why?”

“Don’t act like you’d give him the box. That’s not what you’re thinking and we both know it.”

“Ok. Yeah. I’m not letting it leave my sight. It’s too important to me.”

Will gestured. “The ruse would be to kidnap you.”

“Surely there are easier ways to kidnap someone. Surely there are easier people to kidnap.”

“You want to help him. You intend to go with him.”

It wasn’t a question (they knew each other too well) but Denice nodded anyway. 

“Then I’m coming, too.”

“Why?”

“To keep you safe in case it is a kidnapping scheme. Besides, if there really is a well that’s acting weird, I’ve worked on wells before. I might be able to help.” 

“Ok then. What do you pack to go to a different world?”

“All my tools.” 

Denice smacked his arm lightly. “Fine. What do _I_ pack to go to a different world?”

“You’re on your own there.” Will gave her a small smile, then headed out of the room, probably to start gathering said tools. 

By the time she returned to the living and kitchen area with a backpack and the sewing box, Will was rolling up the ropes that they’d used earlier and reorganizing his own, larger and heavy duty hiking variety, backpack. She watched as he paused to consider his various wrench options and shook her head. 

Instead, she focused on Connor who was watching Will with a supercilious eyebrow raised.

“Ok. We’ll help you. When do we leave?”

Connor’s attention dragged from Will back to her. “I just need the Key.”

“Well, my Great Great Nana’s sewing box isn’t going anywhere without me.”

“And she’s not going strange places with strange men without me.” Will stepped up next to her and dropped his bag on the floor at his feet with a very heavy thud.

“There you go. Package deal. Take it or leave it.”

Connor took a breath before seeming to resolve himself. “Ok. Then, if you are ready, we can go to the portal now.”

* * *

She should have realized it when they crossed the river to Manhattan, but of course the portal was in Central Park. She sighed and caught Will rolling his eyes repeatedly as they followed Connor.

“I’m just saying, it’s cliche. Very cliche.”

She couldn’t argue with him. It was very cliche. Luckily, Connor didn’t lead them to the most cliche places that she’d feared would hold the portal: The Imagine mosiac, Bow bridge, the Bethesda fountain, the Carousel, the Alice In Wonderland sculpture, or Cherry Hill.

Instead, Connor led them to some trees near the edge of Sheep Meadow. She didn’t see what he did, but after a few moments, there was a faint shimmering between two trees that were bent together to make a rudimentary arch. There was probably a minimum requirement of cliche for magic to work. Looking at the slightly out of focus world through the trees made her head hurt, so she closed her eyes and stepped through the portal with the others.

She wasn’t sure what she expected when she opened her eyes - to have been turned into an animated cartoon, to not have actually gone anywhere, flying monkeys - but what she saw was definitely not what she expected. 

Everything was dark, except for numerous fungi that glowed with neon phosphorescence. It should have hurt her eyes, it should have been difficult to see, but somehow it was fine. It was almost easier than the concrete and steel of New York.

“Glowing mushrooms. Sure. This might as well be real.” Will shook his head beside her and she had to agree. At this point, it was either roll with everything or cease to process at all.

“We should go to the Well first. I want to check on the other dryads.” Connor looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him in the city.

“You left them alone to find Denice?”

“Of course not. I asked an acquaintance to guard them in my place.”

“An acquaintance.”

“A half-elf. Like myself.” 

Denice did a double take. She was certain that his ears hadn’t appeared pointed before, but now. She shook herself. “How far is it to the Well?”

“Not too far.”

* * *

Denice should have known not to take Connor’s word for how far the Well was. He’d followed her through at least two full boroughs on foot and claimed it was only a little more than he was used to walking. It was a lot more than she was used to walking. 

She didn’t even bother looking around when Connor announced they were at the Well. She didn’t do anything other than head for a seat that was pointed out and collapse into it.

“I’ll get some light refreshments.” Connor seemed unfazed.

“I’m fine, thanks. If someone could just show me to the Well, I’ll get started.”

Denice opened her eyes to glare at Will. It felt like a personal affront that he could be ready to work immediately after that hike, especially considering how many tools she knew he had in his backpack.

“It’s a matter of hospitality.” 

The strange voice drew Denice’s gaze away from Will and she realized that the room was actually quite full. Several women were standing around. They all had leaves, twigs, and a few flowers, in their hair and on their arms. 

“We really must insist that you eat and drink with us.”

“Chill. I can show you the Well after you rest. That bag looks heavy. Do you need help?” The man who spoke might have been a half elf like Connor, or maybe a full elf. She wasn’t really clear on what differences in appearance to expect. But his ears were similar.

“I’m fine.” Something in Will’s voice made her look over. 

She glanced back over at the other man then back to Will. He seemed to be making it a point to look at the decor or his own bag as he sat down in the offered seat to wait for their refreshments. She smirked to herself; he couldn’t avoid looking or talking forever.

It didn’t take long for Connor to return with a tray of tea and a number of small snacks that she couldn’t identify. He offered it to them both and they each took a cup and snack dutifully. Most of the rest took some as well, including the other man.

She didn’t wait to see if anyone else ate some first. She couldn’t identify the flavor any more than she’d identified it by sight, but it was delicious. The tea didn’t disappoint either. 

“You are both welcome to stay here, of course, while I find Tony. If I could have the Key?” Connor was looking at her expectantly and she placed a proprietary hand on her sewing box.

“I told you. I go where the box goes.”

“Won’t your husband be worried about you if he stays here to work on the Well and you go with me?”

“Husband??” Denice and Will chorused the question, both wide eyed with shock.

“You live together, he is very protective of you.”

Will snorted and his cup clinked as he set it in the saucer. “You live here and protect the dryads, if I remember correctly. Which are you married to? Or is it all of them?”

Connor blinked slowly. “I am their guardian.”

“Is that all? I thought you said Tony was your friend.” Denice tilted her head.

“Yes. They’re my friends as well.” 

“And you’d protect them even if it wasn’t your job because you’re friends.” Of course, Denice knew that not all friends had each other’s backs like she and Will, but Connor had gone to great lengths to find Tony, so he probably was.

“Denice and I are friends and roommates and usually coworkers. But we are not in a romantic relationship and we never will be.” 

The other elf broke in. “Are you sure? It would make a good story.”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Very sure.” Denice confirmed.

“I like men and she doesn’t.”

“To be clear, I don’t like anyone. I’m Ace.” She shot Will a look. He might be trying to be concise, but his statement lacked precision.

The elf pulled out a pad and pencil and seemed to be taking notes. “Ace?”

“I’m not attracted to anyone? I just, don’t get sexual attraction?” She should be used to explaining it. Even in their world most people didn’t seem to understand the concept.

Luckily, he didn’t argue the point and also didn’t opt for the stupid plant jokes. Although she couldn’t be sure if that was because of a different understanding of biology or because it would be pretty insensitive while surrounded by dryads. “Ah. But romantic?” 

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Why do you care?”

“I’m writing an Epic Ballad of Connor’s adventures to save Tony.” 

One of the younger looking dryads sidled over and looked over his shoulder. “That’s not what you just wrote. You wrote ‘He likes-.’”

“Anyway! It’s going to be a grand tale, so make sure to remember everything that happens. While you are gone, Will can tell me about this NYC place.” He snapped his journal closed. 

Denice looked at Will and he looked back at her. Someone who didn’t know him as well as she did might have missed the thread of panic in his eyes. 

He’d be fine. He’d worked with attractive men before. Usually he was fine even with speaking to them.

She turned to Connor and smiled. “So, when do we leave?”

“I’ve got work to do on the Well.” Will was out the door with his bag before anyone could respond.

One of the dryads turned to follow. “I’ll make sure he finds it and doesn’t get injured with the magic flows.”

“I’ll help.” The other elf left on her heels.

There was a pause before Connor turned to the remaining dryads. “Has anything happened? Has Derek watched over you all?”

“Derek’s been fine. Go find Tony.” Another of the older dyrads took Connor by the shoulders and turned him towards the door. 

Denice decided that was her cue to pick up the box and follow.


	5. Chapter 5

Connor wasn’t sure that Denice would keep up on the trip to the labyrinth. It was farther away from the Well than the portal to NYC had been and she’d been exhausted from that. He probably should have allowed a longer rest, but Tony had been missing for so long already, he hated to delay more. 

But they arrived with no complaints from her. She was tougher than she looked. She’d even carried the sanctuary the entire time. Although, he wanted to attribute that to stubbornness. 

“So, Tony’s in there?”

“I hope so. This is where I was directed to go after obtaining the Key.” 

Denice nodded. “Right. Then let’s go.” 

He returned her nod and they turned together towards the labyrinth. It was cool and dark as soon as they passed the outer walls. They stepped forward side by side. 

“Connor?” Denice sounded far away.

He shook his head and turned towards her. She should have been directly beside him, but he couldn’t see her at all, only a wall. He stepped back out of the maze. “Denice?”

She stepped out as well. “Well, that answers my question about what kind of nonsense this place was going to pull.” She extended her hand.

A raised eyebrow seemed sufficient to express his confusion.

“This place is obviously messing with us. If we hold hands, we won’t get separated.”

He couldn’t fault the logic.“Fine. One of the things Seers told me must be about this part. The one I told you before.”

> Twisting, turning, winding, wry,  
>  The path itself doth shift and hide.  
>  Alone, a champion will die.  
>  Without the Key to live inside.

“We’ll need the key to make it through.”

Denice nodded and dropped her hand to kneel. She gently set down the box she was carrying and opened it. There were a number of items within, but she ignored most of them. “What does it look like?”

“You’re the Keeper. You should know.”

“It’s all sewing supplies. Some of them I purchased, others I inherited with the box from my Nana.” She shifted items around again. Finally, she held up an odd flat piece of crystal that had been tucked into a pocket that fit it perfectly. “Is this it?”

Connor opened his mouth to explain again that he didn’t know what the Key looked like. He’d simply been sent to retrieve it and been given the compass to aid him in finding it.

Before he could give voice to his thoughts, Denice gasped. 

“Oh. It is. It’s Magic.”

Connor raised his eyebrows.

Denice pulled it back down and held it before her eyes. “Some kind of True Sight or something.”

She carefully set the crystal aside and repacked the box. Once she was standing again, she started trying to figure out a way to hold the box, the crystal and his hand.

“I can hold the box for you.”

“It might not have the Key anymore, but it’s still my Great Great Nana’s sewing box.” 

Finally, she figured out a solution. It didn’t look comfortable and was probably putting a lot of strain on the arm holding the box and the crystal, but she grabbed his hand and nodded.

Clearly, she had no intentions of letting him argue about it further, so he nodded as well and they stepped back into the labyrinth. 

He paused to look at her after the third time that she tightened her grip with a quick warning to stop him right before a number of bladed, barbed, or poisoned objects flew through the air he’d been about to occupy. He didn’t look because of the warning, he was getting used to that. 

Rather, he’d glanced over because he heard her mutter something about how it would be easier if something were glasses. She was no longer holding the crystal in front of her eyes, instead she was wearing a pair of spectacles and keeping what appeared to be a more comfortable hold on the box. It was lucky that the Key could transform into a more adept shape as the labyrinth was just as deadly as the Seer’s caution had advised. 

He has many more opportunities to be glad of the Key before they finally step into a clearing in the middle of the labyrinth, a glowing portal the only thing occupying the space. Alone, he certainly would have died. Instead, they were both relatively unscathed. 

The Seers and Sages had not given any insight regarding where this portal would lead. He was only certain of one thing. “This must lead to Tony.”

“Right.” 

He got the feeling that he didn’t need to tell Denice that any number of horrors might await on the other side. She’d faced arrows, fire, and poison without flinching to get them this far. 

They exchanged a nod and stepped through the portal.


	6. Chapter 6

Denice was still pretty shaken up by the traps in the labyrinth when she stepped through the portal. She wasn’t going to show it, and she hadn’t told Connor about all the things he couldn’t see, but it was clear that whoever had taken Tony intended anyone following to die a horrible and painful death. So, while she wasn’t sure what to expect through the portal - a dungeon, a different part of the magic world, some kind of new hell world entirely - she definitely wasn’t expecting to emerge in what appeared to be a large storage closet of some sort.

Judging by the lack of glowing neon fungi, she didn’t think they were in the magic world anymore. If it wasn’t Earth, it looked a lot like it.

“You guys aren’t supposed to be here.” The voice came from behind them, which made sense because the wall in front of them was solid.

They both turned around to see who had spoken. A young man, about Denice’s age if she had to guess but maybe a little older, and about Connor’s height, was staring at them dubiously from a doorway.

“Where is here, though?” First things first. The glasses weren’t showing her a threat, so figuring out where they were would help figure out where to go next.

“Oh! You got here the same way as Tony, huh?” His face cleared and a friendly smile spread across it.

“Tony’s here? You have him?” Connor seemed ready to shake the man to get answers.

Denice grabbed his hand again and squeezed it to try to signal that he shouldn’t make any rash decisions.

“He’s been staying with me. He said that his friends would come for him. I’m glad you did! I wasn’t having any luck figuring out where he was from to be able to help him get home.”

“He’s..staying with you?” Connor seemed nonplussed by the information.

“Well, he didn’t have anywhere else to go. I’m Chris, by the way. You can call me Chowder. Most people do.” Chris held out a hand and Denice released Connor’s so that she could shake it.

“Connor.”

“Denice.” 

The name Chowder sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She was fairly certain she hadn’t met anyone that used that nickname. She shook her head. It was probably some random name from one of the cast or crew members fifteen plays ago. Regardless, Chris led them through a series of hallways and out into the night air.

She stopped and looked around with narrowing eyes. She’d been right, it was Earth. But more precisely, the area looked familiar.

“Are we in New Jersey?”

“Ch’yeah! Barnabas Health Hockey House!”

Denice groaned. “We could have taken a bus.”

* * *

Chris’s place was nice. Not nice enough to make her think that moving to Newark would be worth it, but nice. Then again, she and Will probably still couldn’t afford a place like this in Newark.

“Do you want something to drink? I’m going to help Cait finish getting dinner ready, but you can catch up with Tony in the meantime!” 

Chris disappeared before Denice could mention that she didn’t actually know Tony. It didn’t really matter though, because Connor had approached Tony and then stopped in front of him until Tony had wrapped him into a hug. Connor was still stiff and wasn’t that much larger than Tony, but still somehow seemed to envelop him as he returned the embrace. 

Denice tried to give them some privacy by looking at a series of succulents in the window and the pictures displayed on the wall. Still, she couldn’t help seeing Connor release Tony and hold him at arms’ length to check him over. 

“Are you well? Are you hurt? Have you been mistreated?”

“I’m fine, Connor. I knew you’d come for me and Chowder and Cait are really nice. Leave some questions for me.” 

Denice rolled her eyes at the playful smile that Tony was giving Connor. Just what she needed, two idiots in love and unaware. 

“Hey guys? Dinner’s ready.” Chris was obviously reluctant to break in on their reunion.

Given how Connor had acted about hospitality rules before, it wasn’t surprising that Connor immediately accepted the invitation to the dining room, with Tony and Denice following behind him. 

“Ok, but how did you end up in our world staying with an NHL goalie?”

“Oh! You do recognize me then.”

Denice forced an abashed smile. “Not at first actually. The name and Jersey. Plus you’ve got pictures out there with PK and some others. My roommate watches hockey. He’s mostly a Bruins fan, but he likes you, too. I probably should have worked it out sooner.”

Chowder gave a friendly grin. “That’s ok. Usually I’m wearing a mask. But you were asking Tony.”

“Oh yeah. I knew that something bad was going to happen, because of the Vision?” He looked at Connor for confirmation that this made sense and waited for Connor’s nod before continuing. “But it just kind of happened all of a sudden, I was in a different place, there were no fungi to see by. Something was holding me immobile. Then there was a voice, I didn’t recognize it, but it said ‘I cast you to the mercy of the devils.’ and threw me through the portal and I guess I ended up the same place you did?”

“Ch’yeah! I found them in the same spot! Except I wasn’t in the equipment room when it happened this time. Luckily I was in the hall though and I heard them.”

“The mercy of the devils? This world is strange but, devils?” Connor raised an eyebrow.

Denice sighed. “The hockey team. They’re called the New Jersey Devils.”

“I think that makes me The Mercy! I’m going to try to get PR to make that my tag line. Chowder: Mercy of the Devils.” 

Tony looked at Denice, but his next words were directed to Connor. “But you found the Key, though. I’m glad.”

“Oh, right.” She took the glasses off and held them towards Tony. He would probably want the Key now. 

Instead of taking them, he tilted his head and confused wrinkles crossed his brow. “No thanks. I don’t need glasses.”

She nodded. Of course, he was a Seer or an Oracle or whatever Connor had called him. He probably had True Sight all the time. 

Connor broke in, setting his cutlery down as he did so. “We should return as soon as possible. The Well is afflicted.”

“Already? What’s it doing?” Tony didn’t seem ready to jump out of his seat, though he had also finished most of the meal.

“They wouldn’t let me search for you at first. But when the Well changed, your sisters agreed that I should regardless. The colors are muddying. Something is interfering with the Magic.”

“My sisters agreed? Who is watching them? What would make the colors muddy?”

“They miss you, too, Tony. Derek agreed to stand guard in my stead. I am...not sure.” 

The way that Connor patiently answered all of Tony’s questions would have made it obvious how much he cared for Tony even if the hug earlier hadn’t. Denice looked over at Chowder and Cait and they all shared a look of understanding. Of course, they’d had days to spend with Tony, even longer than she’d known Connor. They were probably both used to the weirdness of the situation and already had a firm grasp on how much Tony and Connor meant to each other.

But Connor had brought up a good point. “We should definitely get back as soon as possible. Whether Will was able to help with the Well or not, we left him in a strange land with Derek and Tony’s sisters.”

“Will?” Tony turned toward her, his eyes full of more questions than he’d asked.

“My roommate and friend. He came with me to your world to help out.”

“Oh, he’s safe if he’s with my sisters.” 

“Sure.” Denice agreed easily; she honestly wasn’t worried about Tony’s sisters, or Will’s physical safety.

Tony seemed to take her acceptance at face value and addressed Connor again. “Do you know how to get back? I tried to reactivate the portal that I came through, but it doesn’t seem to open from this end.”

She couldn’t help but shudder at the idea of going back through the labyrinth and trying to keep all three of them together and safe. It was lucky they were in Newark. “Actually, Connor, you can open the portal we went through before, right? In Central Park?”

“I can. How many days will it take us to journey there?”

Chowder and Cait both snorted and Denice had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing as well. It wasn’t their fault that they didn’t know where they were. 

“I was serious when I said we could have taken a bus. It’s not far.”

“The train would be faster.” Cait’s suggestion was accurate. There were a few different transit options they could take.

“Oh! I can drive you!” 

Chowder’s offer was nice, Denice recognized that, but it also sounded like a threat. Having ridden with him driving in New Jersey, she didn’t want to find out what his driving would be like in New York. 

“It’s out of your way, and I’m sure you’d like some peace and quiet finally. Transit’s fine for us. It’s what I’m used to anyway.” 

“Chris, they’ll be fine. You can’t get out of doing the dishes that easily.” Cait wrapped her arms around Chowder but she was smiling at Denice. “But when this is all over, please let us know what happened and that everyone made it home safely.”

* * *

By the time they get back to the Well, Denice and really only manage to be thankful that they had time to rest and that she’d been wearing sensible clothes and shoes when she first told Connor that she’d go through the portal with him. The tea and snack after the first hike had been restorative and given her a second wind for the trip to the labyrinth. But it was late and she wasn’t used to quite this much walking, especially on rough terrain.

Still, everything was fine when they arrived at the Well. Everyone was outside, standing around the Well itself. Everyone except Will. Denice was about to ask where he’d gone when he climbed out of the Well itself. The dryads and Derek moved to help him, setting aside vines that they’d each been holding while he pulled himself over the edge and then immediately dropped to sit on the same edge. 

He didn’t bother trying to remove the harness or even disconnect it from the rope that it was attached to, but Denice saw his fingers pressed into the stone by his sides. 

“You pulled two vines. You said you’d pull the vine for where the leak was at, but you pulled two.” Derek was watching Will with a funny look on his face. 

“Ayuh. It was a little ways between the two. Closer to one than the other, so I pulled that one twice and the other once. Which ones were they?”

Derek looked at him for another moment. “Connor and Tony are back.” His voice was flat, completely devoid of emotion and after his announcement he immediately turned and walked toward the guardian house that they’d rested in earlier.

The dryad holding the vine next to where Derek was standing stepped closer to Will. “You’re sure it was between the two?”

“Look, Magic doesn’t like, do stuff to me or whatever like it apparently does you, right? It’s a strong current and easy to get turned around and stuff which is why we did the vines in the first place. But the vines didn’t move at all and I can tell the difference between ‘at a vine’ and ‘between the vines’ so I don’t know what his problem is.”

Tony stepped forward. “He pulled Derek’s vine?”

One of his sisters nodded. “Once.” 

“But doesn’t that mean that it was more towards yours?”

“Yes, but we can’t know for sure.”

“Will someone please just explain what you are talking about?” Will ran a hand through his hair.

“The way you said the Magic was being diverted, it had to have been someone on the Council. They’re the only ones strong enough. Derek’s father is a councilor.” The oldest of the dryads seemed to understand Will’s frustration at not understanding why Derek was upset.

Will nodded. “Right. And his dad’s kingdom or duchy or territory or whatever is the direction he was standing.”

“Yes. He is not close with his father. They have always had a strained relationship, which is probably why he was willing to go against the council’s decision about Connor looking for Tony. But.”

“But it’s still his dad.” Will nodded again and moved slowly over to his supplies that he brought. 

He winced slightly as he knelt, but Denice didn’t think anyone else noticed. When she took a step towards him, he shook his head then dug through his stuff until he pulled out some piece of equipment and headed back to the Well.

“What are you doing?” Tony was watching him closely as well. 

“Going to snake the breach.”

“Snake the breach?”

“Ayuh. Might not work, but I can try to see if it shifts direction a little ways in. Get a clearer picture of who’s probably behind it. Might just be that the spot in the Well was weaker or something, not actually where the Magic is running.”

“Will.”

“I’m not going to accuse someone’s dad without making sure, okay?”

Denice let her shoulders drop. He needed to rest, but he wouldn’t, not until he had done all he could.

Will gave her a small, self-deprecating smile over the edge of the Well just before he lowered himself back down into the swirling mists of colors. 

“W-” 

Denice placed a hand on Tony’s arm and shook her head, cutting off Tony’s question. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Tony looked from her to Connor and then his sisters. “If it’s between Derek’s father and Fromir Gould...”

Connor nodded agreement. “It’s almost assuredly Gould that is siphoning the Magic. Likely the one who attacked you as well.”

“It’s just how Will is. He likes having proof. Especially if ambiguity upset someone he doesn’t want to upset.” Denice looked around for a good spot to sit and wait, setting the sewing box beside her. “It sounds like Will doesn’t think he’ll be able to fix the Well if he was trying to gauge the direction of the leak, so, do you want the Key now? Or was it just to find you?” 

Her question was directed at Tony, but his sisters all took seats nearby and one of them spoke up to add clarification about the Well. “He said after the first time he went down that if he tried to plug it one of three things would happen.”

Another continued the thought, “It wouldn’t hold at all because the person siphoning was pulling too strong and it would be a waste.”

“It would hold, but the person siphoning would know what we were doing.

“It would hold for a short time, then the pull would be too strong and the leak would continue but the person would know what we were doing.”

“Since it was an obvious siphon rather than a natural leakage. 

She really hoped that they didn’t normally talk like that, switching between speakers to express one thought. Or that she’d get more used to it if she spent more time around them. But if she spent much more time around them, she’d really better find out their names before it was awkward.

“Why do you keep asking if I want the Key?” Tony was watching her with an odd expression, not seeming to have heard what his sisters said.

She took the glasses off and looked at them. “Well, maybe not you. You have True Sight anyway, I guess. But they are pretty useful.”

“Denice. The glasses aren’t the Key. You’re the Key.”

“I’m what now?”

“You’re the Key. Connor needed _you_ to get through the labyrinth. We need _you_ to open the sanctuary of fairies.”

A look of realization was spreading over Connor’s face when Denice glanced at him. “Of course. The compass was attuned to the Key and directed me to you. Not the Keeper, the Key.”

Denice could follow that logic. “But what’s this about opening a sanctuary of fairies?”

Tony knelt in front of her and then gestured towards her Great Great Nana’s sewing box. 

Denice looked from him to the box and back dubiously. 

“I let them use it in the play, but that’s just because it’s old and period appropriate. Just because it was a fairy house in the play doesn’t mean anything.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tony didn’t seem concerned about that, instead he continued looking thoughtfully at the box. “I think if we all open it together, it will work.”

Denice looked at Connor who shrugged in response before dropping to a knee beside Tony. They all reached for the box together.

They immediately rock back, falling out of the way as dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of dark flying creatures swarm out of the box and into the woods around them. Denice kept staring into the box. There was supposed to be trays of sewing supplies. It was supposed to hold her Nana’s sewing supplies and the flower shaped container of pins that she’d gotten a few years ago and…it was not supposed to have an opening that appeared to lead to a yawning void of abyss that spewed weird winged creatures.

“Fairies. Actual fairies. I thought they were all gone forever.”

The murmur finally pulled her attention away from the transformed sewing box to see Connor and all of the dryads staring in awe and wonder at the creatures flitting through the trees around them.

The largest creature - a fairy, according to the dryads - flew towards Denice. She noticed that Connor’s posture changed as he shifted to a more protective and defensive stance, but of course, Tony was beside them as well. 

The fairy was nothing like she’d ever seen before, horrible and beautiful and terrifying. The mouth was too wide and there were too many teeth that were far too pointy. It seemed to float rather than hover, just out of reach in front of Denise and the sounds that it uttered when it opened its mouth were not English or any language she’d ever heard. Still she understood what was said.

“Crafter, descendant of The Crafter who gave us sanctuary, you have completed your bond and returned us. Our thanks and fealty.”


	7. Chapter 7

“I explained that we weren’t going to try to stop the siphon just yet, but they want to remove the taint that was introduced to the magic.”

Will nodded absently at Denice’s explanation, but his eyes were focused on the fairies fluttering around and down into the Well and back. He didn’t look like he cared what they were doing, just that his ability to deal with yet another thing was getting stretched very thin. 

She understood. Even for the magic world, fairies were unbelievable. Their bodies were dark and shiny like obsidian in moonlight, but their wings, eyes, and teeth (all of which there seemed to be too many of) shifted through swirls of colors like the Magic in the Well. 

“Would just have been nice to not have been in the Well when Hell’s Jurassic Hummingbirds showed up, territorial and pissed off about the damage.”

She grimaced at that. The fairies had actually lifted him out of the Well, and at least he’d realized their strength and not tried to fight it, but that did seem like the sort of thing that would make a bad impression. 

“I didn’t know it was going to happen or I would have waited.”

Heaving a sigh, Will finally met her gaze directly from his resting spot near the window. “It’s ok. I know you would have.”

“According to the stories, fairies are the original source of magic. When they had to leave, they created the Well for us and put dryads in charge of guarding it. That’s what my Nonna told me.” Tony’s face was still a canvas of wonder as he watched the fairies.

Denice nodded and then turned back to the small group gathered around the table. “So, it’s confirmed by Will and the fairies that Fromir Gould is the one siphoning the Magic and tainting the Well.”

“We can’t let it stand, but Gould leads the Council. No one will stand against them, even if we could prove they are stealing the Magic.”

“We have to stop them.”

“Ok. So, one Council Elder with guards and whatnot?” Denice looked around for confirmation. “And we have seven dryads, two half elves, however many fairies, and me.”

“And me.” Will had managed to stand up from where he’d been resting, even though he was wincing with every movement, and joined them at their makeshift war table.

“You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re human.”

Will glared at Derek for that comment. “Ayuh. That I am.”

“Does anyone know what Gould’s place is like? What are we going to be up against? What do we have at our disposal? Let’s make a plan.” Denice pulled out a pad and started making notes. 

Derek opened his mouth then closed it. Denice thought she saw his eyes flick towards Will and then Tony before he opened it again. “I’ve been to his holdings. My father required me to attend. I haven’t been through all the buildings, of course. But I’ll tell you what I remember.”

Connor nodded. “My training to guard the dryads included learning the abilities and weaknesses of anyone who might be a threat. Some things can be learned by anyone, of course, given time and inclination, but there are certain things in manner of clothing and styles which should give some clue to what we are facing when dealing with the guards.”

“Is it possible to cut Gould off from Magic entirely when we get there?”

“We’d need to be certain he was cut off from any emergency escape routes before we did that.” Carina’s response to her brother’s question made sense.

Denice noted that as well. 

“All of us combined don’t have the Magic to stand against a Council Elder. The fairies, maybe, but how many would be injured or killed? How many of us?” Gia spread her hands wide.

“I’ll ask the fairies.” Before the rest could argue about necessary casualties, Denice stood up and stepped out of the house.

Immediately, the leader of the fairies appeared to float before her. “We can assist. We will fight at your side. Under your banner. We will be there and we will excise the Magic from the thief at your signal.” The Fairy’s lips curled back from the sharp, multitudinous teeth in a way that could not be mistaken for a smile. “We could do it now, but you say wait.” 

Denice shivered even though it wasn’t chilly. “It’s better if we can prove to the rest what’s happened and if he doesn’t know we’re coming.”

“Very well. Know that we have learned from our ancestors. We will not allow the denizens of this world to defile us again. Magic theft is ours to judge and punish.”

Denice nodded. “Thank you.” 

The Fairy disappeared in a flutter of wings and she turned back towards the house. Before she entered, she paused as movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. A small Fairy was hovering outside one of the windows and, as she watched, was practicing moving its mouth. 

“Wi-ill.”

She couldn’t help but have noticed that the fairies were distrustful of everyone but her. Based on what the leader had just said, it probably had something to do with how they’d been treated before her Great Great Nana had helped them in the box. 

Except Will. The fairies didn’t seem to mind being around Will. Maybe because he’d been trying to repair the Well when they were freed. Maybe because they could sense his motivations. Probably because he was the only one who couldn’t do anything with Magic at all.

Well, not Magic magic.

* * *

It hadn’t been easy getting to Gould’s inner sanctum, but the three of them had made it. 

“Please, even the help of the Crafter can’t save you now. Magic is mine and mine alone.” Gould finished the thought with an evil laugh that honestly could have used some work.

Denice put a hand on her hip. “I’m not just the Crafter, asshole. I’m the motherfucking Stage Manager. Cue lights.”

The lighting in the area changed suddenly, from the darkness tinged with neon normal to the Magic Realm, to an eerie midtone red throughout the room.

“Cue smoke.” 

Fog rolled across the floor, closing in around everything up to about knee high. At least, Denice’s knees, it was a little lower on the leg for the others.

Gould looked around in confusion. “What sorcery are you using?”

“Cue cavalry.” 

Denice twitched the corner of her mouth into a mirthless smile as the fairies flooded into the room, grabbing the councilor and dragging him off. 

Derek and Will followed them out to stand beside Denice, Tony, and Connor.

“Too bad we couldn’t use the flywire.” 

“How would you set up the pulleys ahead of time, Will? Let it go with trying to make me fly.”

“What are the fairies going to do with him?”

Denice frowned at Tony’s question. “They didn’t tell me that. And I’m not sure I want to know. They just said that Magic theft was theirs to judge and punish.”

“Were we even needed?” Connor looked around as they headed back out of the lair.

“Definitely. I can’t really describe how the fairies feel towards Magic, they don’t explain in words. But, the fact he tried to hoard it for himself and taint everyone else?” She shuddered. “They were very angry about it. Without us, other people might have gotten hurt.” 

“Sometimes, you're not the weapon, just the one who aims it.” Will was watching the horizon with an odd look. 

Derek bumped their shoulders together. “The lights and fog you did were really chill, though. For someone with no magic.”

Will looked over at Denice and smiled. “We’ve always had magic.”

He held up a hand and Denice slapped it with a high five as she smiled back. “Stage magic.”


	8. Chapter 8

Back at the Grove, they had a feast and party to celebrate the victory and return of Magic. Clarifying the Well had helped, of course, but the fairies being back had significantly increased the base level of Magic in the Realm. Apparently, no one had noticed that it had been slowly lowering since the fairies had sought refuge in the sewing box dimension.

Some of the people from the closest village came out to celebrate with them, some friends and acquaintances of Connor and Derek, but mostly those trying to court various dryad sisters, based on the way they were falling over each other to try to get their attention.

Denice shook her head as one particularly enthusiastic elf suitor tried to rush over to get a drink for Ginny, lost his footing and fell on his face, only for a lovely water nymph woman to deftly reach over him for the drink and return it to Ginny’s waiting smile. She turned away from the party and walked over to where Tony was sitting alone, watching Connor watch everyone else. “You know he feels the same way.”

Tony startled and turned to look at her. “Sometimes I almost convince myself that’s true. I will myself to See it, us together and happy. When our cousins, or Carina’s children even, are old enough to guard the Well, maybe we’d have a house by a good tree. But I don’t really See it. It’s just what I wish.” He looked away from Connor and down at his hands. 

Denice sighed and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before making her way around the party to where Connor was avoiding mingling by not engaging in small talk when anyone tried. “We just saved Magic, fairies are back and Tony might not even need to keep guarding the Well, seems like a good time to make your move.”

Connor’s expression didn’t change, nor did his gaze waver from where he was scanning the crowd. “He’s a Seer. He knows my feelings. If he returned them, he’d say something. I’ll not stop being his friend just because he doesn’t love me in that way.” 

“You two are impossible.” Apparently, Denice had to do everything if anything was going to get done. 

She grabbed Connor’s hand and dragged him over to where Tony was sitting. “You are missing your cues and off your marks. This is the final scene. This is where the heroes kiss and it ain’t gonna be me, so get over yourselves and pucker up before the curtain drops.”

She turned away, dusting her hands off, to return to the festivities.

One of the dryads, Bianca, approached her. “Are you going back home? Or will you stay?”

Denice paused. “I hadn’t really thought about it, to be honest.”

“You and Tony and Connor make a good team. You wrangle them very well.”

Denice couldn’t help but laugh. “Two of them isn’t so bad. Usually I’m trying to keep a full cast in line.”

Bianca smiled in return. “If you do stay, I’d like to talk to you, if that’s ok. About... Ace?”

Denice blinked at her in surprise. “Oh yeah. I mean. I need to check if Will wants to return right away, but I don’t have anything for the next few days. Either way, we can talk before I go.”

Bianca smiled and wandered back to the party. 

Denice wasn’t sure where Will had gone, she’d last seen him looking at the food suspiciously while Derek tried to explain what everything was. It didn’t really matter. She was in no hurry to get back to New York. They had some time to enjoy the win. And they could always come back to visit. She felt like she had one foot in two different worlds. But she was The Crafter, she could build a bridge and keep her friends in both.

Not bad for the week after wrap. Not bad at all.

**Author's Note:**

> I am always available to be yelled at on tumbls at [SexyDexyNurse](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/). Sometimes I write things there and forget to put them here.


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